A/N:
The title of this chapter At the beginning comes from the song At the Beginning by Richard Marx. The Tony/Michelle fan video set to this song is one of my very favorites.
At the beginning (Song by Richard Marx)
We were strangers, starting out on a journey
Never dreaming, what we'd have to go through
Now here we are, I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you
No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected, what you did to my heart
When I lost hope, you were there to remind me
This is the start
And life is a road that I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you
We were strangers, on a crazy adventure
Never dreaming, how our dreams would come true
Now here we stand, unafraid of the future
At the beginning with you
9:53 am.
"Where to?" The taxi driver asked.
"First we need to stop at the Burbank Center Mall...After that, Ontario Airport," Tony said in one breath.
One glance at his cell phone was all it took for Tony to feel the weight of the world on his shoulders, all too aware that every minute that passed was an opportunity missed every second could literately mean the difference between life and death.
There was every possibility that he was being followed even though he'd taken precautionary measures such as walking a few blocks away from his home to the fetch a cab and deciding against retrieving anything from the house except for the passports.
Time was of the essence and every one of his actions needed to have a very precise purpose.
One wrong move...
"What's going on? Tony cursed under his breath, his eyes resolutely fixed on the scene ahead.
Even though the taxi driver had taken the city streets, purposely avoiding the madness of the freeway in Los Angeles this time of day, there were emergency vehicles blocking a major city street which impacted all alternative routes to the Burbank mall.
At this point they were less than 5 miles away from the mall, the airport was another 50 miles away from there.
He had to get hold of Michelle.
"Dammit!" he cursed again, this time quite loudly, as he realized that his cell phone had lost signal AND that on top of everything else, it had a low battery. Prior to leaving the house that morning, he had counted on being able to use the car charger as he drove. But then, the unthinkable happened: his vehicle had been blown off to pieces right in front of his very eyes, effectively shattering any future plans.
Right then, the taxi driver turned up the volume on his radio, which initially annoyed Tony until he realized that something important was happening.
"I repeat...suspects carrying automatic weapons have taken control of terminal one of Ontario International Airport. They have hostages and are said to be wearing explosives in their vests."
Tony's eyes popped open. Wh-what? Ontario Airport?
Another newscaster interrupted the broadcasting to add:
"Thank you, James. We just had our sources confirm that that at this point in time two of the hostages have lost their lives and that there is another hostage, a young man being held at gun point. The suspects who have appeared live on national Television making demands on president Logan..."
Tony heard the rest of the newscast in a daze. Ontario airport was now out of the question, and they had already ruled out LAX as an alternative route.
What now? He wondered.
They had to leave the country, no doubt about that. But how?
9:53 am.
It was as if a light bulb suddenly flashed in a sea of darkness. Of course, why didn't she think of this before? It was as if a heavy fog had taken hold of her mind.
Michelle needed to check the local feed for the latest news.
There was every chance in the world that Tony was stuck in traffic.
Of course, it had to be as simple as that.
Nothing in the world could have prepared her for what came next.
All she had to do was use her smart phone to navigate to the FOX news website in the hopes of finding any info on local traffic reports.
She was able to view the video of a man wearing a ski mask speaking the following words:
We are prepared to take any means at our disposal to achieve our goal. We have hostages. Unless President Logan and Subaru make a joint statement repudiating their support I will execute them. You have exactly 90 minutes. Terror will be met with terror.
Her first thought was that she had do something.
Call CTU. Call Chloe.
Someone whose name she didn't recognize ...someone named Spencer answered her call and immediately put her on hold.
Michelle couldn't believe that this man who identified himself by the name of Spencer put her on hold for several precious minutes, after murmuring something about them being extremely busy. While she waited, her mind had no choice but to flash back to a time when Tony and she discussed their getaway plans.
Flashback
The previous day
It had been the perfect day. Right after their visit to the Prenatal Imaging Center where they got 3D sonogram pictures of their baby, Tony and Michelle had a conversation that in retrospect appeared to be an omen of things to come. It had started out lighthearted with them going over possible baby names.
Tony shook his head half in jest, half serious. There was no way he was naming his child Anthony or any variation thereof. He wanted his son to be free from stifling traditions.
"Oh, come on, hon... " Michelle smiled sweetly, snuggling to Tony on the couch. "We've gone over the entire list of names...all other names are either too common, too uncommon, not smart enough or something...
"Ok...tell you what, I'll agree to disagree," Tony winked at her with that irresistible sort of charm.
Michelle giggled, as he drew her closer in response and planted a loving kiss on her lips. Gazing back at her, he marveled at her beautiful face framed by strands of perfectly defined curls. She couldn't possibly look more radiant. Right then, they both felt a surprisingly strong jolt...
"Hey, little guy...I bet you're gonna be a great soccer player..." he spoke to her baby bump, feeling just a tad foolish. His words were not original and just about every parent said something similar about their unborn child.
His fingers gently stroked her belly ripe with their child in a circular pattern, surprised all over again that there was a baby, a real tiny human being growing inside his wife, the woman he loved more than life itself, the woman he would want to save all over again, even if it meant becoming a traitor to his country...all without a moments hesitation. Craving more of her, he planted lingering kisses along her enticing neck as his splayed fingers joyfully moved up to her breasts.
Michelle moaned at his heavenly touch and twisted her body so that she could passionately kiss the love of her life, the father of her unborn child.
And they made love right there on the couch, looking into each other's eyes, lost in one another.
As they lay in each other's arms with the sound of their TV in the background, Tony's face grew suddenly serious as he shared some of the thoughts that he'd been thinking about all day.
"Seeing our baby on the monitor so alive, so real...made me realize how precious life is. "
"He's perfect," she sighed joyfully. In fact, everything in her life was perfect, her life with Tony was a dream come true. The rough patches in their relationship seemed to be a think of the past. Even her mother in law had come around, finally accepting her as a member of their family almost as soon as she had learned that there was a grandchild on the way.
"If something were ever to happen..." he continued, taking a deep breath, "We have to prepare ourselves...we have to be prepared to leave everything behind...for the sake of our family."
Michelle peered at him, any trace of a smile rapidly fading. She knew exactly what he meant.
"It will be hard starting somewhere new...new country, new home. " Tony sighed. "Once we make that choice, we can never come back or contact anyone we know ever again.
"Tony, " she replied with a mix of devotion and unwavering resolution in her eyes. "Wherever we go, you and me...that is home. As long as we're together, that's all that matters."
Tony nodded, pleased at her response. "Now, of course, this will be our absolutely last resort backup plan...Ontario should only be our last resort," he took her into his arms in a warm embrace. "So, baby if you ever hear me say 'Ontario' you better be prepared to run like the dickens and never look back cause we would be in dire straits if either one of us wavers, even if just for a minute," he added in a lighter tone, trying to tone down the serious nature of his warning.
Michelle
9:58 am.
"Yes? Michelle?" Chloe answered.
Michelle could almost see the scowl on Chloe's face. "Chloe...something's happened to Tony. I can feel it. "
"Michelle...I'm...listen, it's bad. It's not just President Palmer being gunned down...but also someone tried to kill me this morning. Two of us out of four being targeted. " There was a pause and Michelle could sense Chloe's scowl deepening. "I gotta go...just watch out for yourself and Tony.
"President Palmer?" Michelle babbled almost incoherently. She needed a minute, she realized as panic began to bubble in her throat. How? Something happened to president Palmer how could she not know this? HOW?
"Gotta go..." Chloe repeated before she hung up her end of the line.
Michelle stared at the phone as if it were a venomous snake. Still, she fumbled for the headline news on her yahoo page, all while fear was like a metallic taste in the back of her throat. And as she scrolled down the page, her eyes fixated to the words on the screen: 7: 30 am. President Palmer assassinated.
Tony. She'd talked to him twice this morning and he never mentioned...
Wait a minute...was it possible he didn't know...? Seriously? What were the odds that nearly 3 hours later neither one of them had heard?
10:15 am.
Tony had decided to turn off his phone to conserve its battery life and turn it back on when he arrived at his destination.
For what seemed like an eternity, he searched for Michelle around all areas around Jamba Juice, cursing at the fact that he kept getting her voice mail. He'd already left a couple of desperate sounding messages. "Michelle...if you're still at the mall...please stay put...I'm here at Jamba Juice. I will come wherever you are..."
Still, he dared not move from their agreed meeting place.
"Have you seen my wife? She's got dark curly hair and..." Tony started as he saw a woman leave the ladies room.
"There's no one else," the woman quickly replied.
A new and fresh frisson of fear inched up his spine as he realized the implication...Michelle had for sure left the area...she could be anywhere.
"Michelle...if you're angry at me. I understand, I deserve it...I'm sorry...please call me back..." he hesitated as he spoke into his cell phone, his second message to Michelle. He still didn't want to alarm her...but he was desperate. "There was a bomb in the Camry...I went to start it...put the key in to warm up the engine...I started back towards the house, it must have been only five seconds...I think the bomb was rigged to explode as soon as the engine was warmed up...If I had sat in the car while the engine warmed up, that would have been it," Tony paused, shuddering at what would have been his demise. He was still shaken by the whole experience. It's one thing if he'd been on the job working at CTU when your life could be hanging on the line and another thing altogether to be faced with danger off duty.
Suddenly, there she was outside the door to the restaurant, looking straight at him.
How long had it been since he left the message? A minute or two at the most. She had that look about her that said it all: she had heard his message and decided to come back.
In two gliding steps, he crossed the distance between them. He was surprised to see her taking a step back, anger flashing in her eyes.
Tony peered at his wife, his expression full of sincerity. "I'm sorry, Michelle...I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was trying to protect you..." his gaze dropped. "I knew you would want to go back..."
"So...you made the decision for me?" She studied him for a moment. He looked contrite. "Look...I probably will still be angry at you for that...but we don't have time for this. We've got to leave now. Flying is out of the question at this point. I got a cab waiting for us just outside the door. We've got to travel by car..." she gave him a pointed look. "We'll go to Canada...I just talked to your cousin Lilia and she gave me her address."
Tony's stared back at her, dumbfounded.
Two days later.
They arrived in Toronto early afternoon, after driving across country and crossing the border into Canada, taking turns at the wheel non-stop. They paid for their food and gas for their vehicle with cash. As it turned out, Lilia had promptly made the reservation for them to pick up the vehicle at Enterprise rental over the phone so that they would not have to use their credit cards and leave a paper trail.
Lilia lived in one of those gorgeous homes that represented the American dream; nicely located in a cul-de-sac and in a neighborhood with perfectly manicured lawns and white picket fences.
She came to the door with a welcoming smile and lead them inside.
Soon after they exchanged a few pleasantries and gathered in the living room, Lilia casually mentioned that her husband Paul would hire Tony to work with him in his business that sold electronic equipment. Seeing the look of hesitation on his face, "It's already a done deal...he'll tell you more about it this evening when he gets home, " she added with a wave of her hand leaving no doubt that in her mind the matter was settled.
Tony and Michelle, exchanged a long speechless look. They were exhausted from their trip and their nerves were still somewhat on edge.
Lilia's two year old daughter who had been playing nearby with her toys suddenly turned to her mother and gave her an affectionate hug.
"She's beautiful," Michelle said with a smile.
"Thank you," Lilia smiled back and Michelle sensed that she was very happy in her role as a mom and found herself relaxing some as she pictured herself embracing her own child one day in the near future.
"Thank you," Tony replied with emphatic intonation. "For everything you've done for us."
"Of course...we are family after all, " Lilia gave Tony a pointed look.
When Tony looked up at her again, a feeling of utter thankfulness rendered him speechless. He never expected this kind of hospitality toward his cousin towards whom he'd held ill feelings all these years due to their shared stormy past. Ever since he'd found out about the abortion, he had vilified Lilia not just because she had done the unthinkable from an spiritual/religious point of view but because she had not given him the opportunity to participate in the decision making process. Blaming her had seemed the easiest thing to do.
Lilia and he had been engaged to be married and even though they'd had an argument, at the time, Tony had every intention to follow through and do the right thing...but she had all of a sudden, arbitrarily cut him off as though his voice didn't matter.
But now, as he stared back at her while sitting in her living room and got a glimpse of her new life and her willingness to lend a helping hand, he couldn't help but feel overcome with emotion. Here he was barging into Lilia's perfect life, with his wife and unborn child in tow... and Lilia was the one lending him a helping hand.
What a huge unexpected blessing.
"I'm sorry..." Tony began. "I was harsh with you for so many years."
Lilia's eyes softened. "We were both kids, Tony. I did it too, I held a grudge against you, blaming you for nearly everything that had gone wrong in my life..." she glanced at her daughter who was playing with some toys on the floor. "But now I see that we weren't really meant to be. I've found peace and happiness...and I've made peace with the past," she concluded glancing over at Michelle with a sincere look, "I thought I would never say this, but, Michelle...you've got a wonderful man here...I hope you know that."
"Yes, Tony is...he's the love of my life," Michelle gave Tony a loving look, surprised to feel a lump in her throat as thoughts of the car bomb suddenly bombarded her. "Thank you, Lilia...I really appreciate your help," she added with a quiet smile.
Tony reached over for Michelle's hand and their fingers instantly intertwined. "Thanks," he mumbled glancing at Lilia for just a moment. "I feel so lucky to have you in my life," he added turning to Michelle, his body naturally shifting closer to hers, his eyes roving over her face, looking at her with all the love any woman could ask for.
Sensing that her guests needed a private moment, Lilia stood and asked, "Would any of you care for some coffee?" and strode to the kitchen following a quiet "yes, please," from Michelle.
"Tony...I love you so much, " she murmured, still rattled by the thought of almost losing him. With all the hustle and bustle of the last few hours it was now that she had finally allowed herself to fully feel the impact of what they gone through. "I feel like I'm the lucky one here." She meant that with all her heart. Tony was her home and even though the thought of starting anew away from their home country naturally filled her with some apprehension, she knew in her heart it would be alright... she would not have it any other way. Tony was with her safe and sound and that was all that mattered.
"No," he said smiling, cupping her face in his hands, marveling at just how lucky they truly were. "We are the lucky ones."
THE END
A/N:
Thanks to all who have reviewed, favorited and/or followed this story. Initially, this fic was going to be only 5 chapters long at the most, but due to the encouragement received, I decided to continue.
If you have been following this story and have enjoyed it, please leave a review even if it's years from now (this is October 2014). Even though I have enjoyed writing this, your reviews are the only tangible compensation I will ever receive for my time and effort...plus, it will make me very happy to know that Tony and Michelle continue to live on...
And they will live on as long as there is at least one reader left.
Thank you.